Overview

Reviews (13)

I'm an experienced developmental editor and proofreader, specialising in adult SFF and YA of all genres.

I started my career with Angry Robot, as acquisitions editor for the Strange Chemistry YA imprint. From there I began my freelance editorial career, working with authors such as Kameron Hurley, Sarah Pinborough and Janet Edwards. I am a proofreader for Angry Robot and Black Library, and I work with private clients as a editorial consultant.

I love working with authors to bring out their best possible work, and seeing a manuscript climb to the next level with my assistance. This can involve either a structural edit - identifying the potential issues in a novel, such as plot, pacing and characterisation, and brainstorming solutions with an author - or a final polish of a publication-ready manuscript in the form of proofreading.

“Amanda Rutter is everything you need in an editor. Not only does she provide a frighteningly thorough and effective copy-edit on your manuscript, her story notes are spot on, and she’s warm and friendly to work with. She has years of experience in the business, and is smart, professional, and has great judgement. I would, and have, recommended Amanda’s services to both new writers and veterans who are considering republishing some early work that needs a modern edit. She’s my go-to recommendation because I know she won’t disappoint.”

Portfolio (28 selected works)

On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose be... read more

On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose be... read more

Loyalties are tested when worlds collide... Every two thousand years, the dark star Oma appears in the sky, bringing with it a tide of death and destruction. And those who survive must contend with friends and enemies newly imbued with violent powers. The kingdom of Saiduan already lies in ruin, decimated by invaders from another world who share the faces of those they seek to destroy. Now the... read more

Loyalties are tested when worlds collide... Every two thousand years, the dark star Oma appears in the sky, bringing with it a tide of death and destruction. And those who survive must contend with friends and enemies newly imbued with violent powers. The kingdom of Saiduan already lies in ruin, decimated by invaders from another world who share the faces of those they seek to destroy. Now the... read more

Amber is one of over a million eighteen-year-olds in one of the great hive cities of twenty-sixth century Earth. She’s about to enter the Lottery of 2532, which will assess her abilities and decide her hive level, her profession, her whole future life. Amber’s dream is to be level 10 or above, her nightmare is to be a level 99 worker in the depths of the hive.When Lottery discovers Amber is a ... read more

Amber is one of over a million eighteen-year-olds in one of the great hive cities of twenty-sixth century Earth. She’s about to enter the Lottery of 2532, which will assess her abilities and decide her hive level, her profession, her whole future life. Amber’s dream is to be level 10 or above, her nightmare is to be a level 99 worker in the depths of the hive.When Lottery discovers Amber is a ... read more

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life. Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive becaus... read more

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life. Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive becaus... read more

In the second installment of the award-winning Horizon series, Dr. Caeli Crys returns to her war-torn world to fight for those she left behind. Almagest, Caeli’s home, stands on the brink of revolution. Long hidden from the rest of the galaxy, the once-peaceful planet suffers under a regime that grows more violent and oppressive by the day. Marcus, Almagest’s dictator, is building an arsenal o... read more

In the second installment of the award-winning Horizon series, Dr. Caeli Crys returns to her war-torn world to fight for those she left behind. Almagest, Caeli’s home, stands on the brink of revolution. Long hidden from the rest of the galaxy, the once-peaceful planet suffers under a regime that grows more violent and oppressive by the day. Marcus, Almagest’s dictator, is building an arsenal o... read more

A Magical World. A Stolen Birthright. A Forbidden Love.16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn't seem so bad.Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen... read more

A Magical World. A Stolen Birthright. A Forbidden Love.16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn't seem so bad.Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen... read more

Sometimes, one must become the unimaginable… Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil that they have unleashed upon the world. As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything... read more

Sometimes, one must become the unimaginable… Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil that they have unleashed upon the world. As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything... read more

Book I of the Manifold Worlds from Hugo-nominated author Foz Meadows. When Saffron Coulter stumbles through a hole in reality, she finds herself trapped in Kena, a magical realm on the brink of civil war. There, her fate becomes intertwined with that of three very different women: Zech, the fast-thinking acolyte of a cunning, powerful exile; Viya, the spoiled, runaway consort of the empire-bui... read more

Book I of the Manifold Worlds from Hugo-nominated author Foz Meadows. When Saffron Coulter stumbles through a hole in reality, she finds herself trapped in Kena, a magical realm on the brink of civil war. There, her fate becomes intertwined with that of three very different women: Zech, the fast-thinking acolyte of a cunning, powerful exile; Viya, the spoiled, runaway consort of the empire-bui... read more

The Custodian Guard have stood watch over the Emperor's Palace on Terra since the foundation of the Imperium. Charged with protecting the Master of Mankind from all threats, within and without, their fearsome resolve is renowned throughout the galaxy, and their golden armour is the last thing that a would-be assassin or saboteur will ever see. Alongside the Null-maidens of the Sisters of Silen... read more

The Custodian Guard have stood watch over the Emperor's Palace on Terra since the foundation of the Imperium. Charged with protecting the Master of Mankind from all threats, within and without, their fearsome resolve is renowned throughout the galaxy, and their golden armour is the last thing that a would-be assassin or saboteur will ever see. Alongside the Null-maidens of the Sisters of Silen... read more

In the year 2408, a century after the invention of interstellar portals, seven hundred people scavenge a living in abandoned New York. The respectable citizens have either withdrawn to new settlements in the countryside, or joined the great exodus of humanity to new, unpolluted colony worlds, but eighteen-year-old Blaze is one of the undesirables that neither the citizen settlements nor the ne... read more

In the year 2408, a century after the invention of interstellar portals, seven hundred people scavenge a living in abandoned New York. The respectable citizens have either withdrawn to new settlements in the countryside, or joined the great exodus of humanity to new, unpolluted colony worlds, but eighteen-year-old Blaze is one of the undesirables that neither the citizen settlements nor the ne... read more

Saffron Coulter is back on Earth, but even so, nothing is easy. Struggling with the victimising expectations of her friends and family and threatened with a stay in psychiatric care, Saffron has to make a choice: to forget about Kena and fit back into the life she's outgrown, or pit herself against everything she's ever known and everyone she loves.Meanwhile in Kena, Gwen is increasingly troub... read more

Saffron Coulter is back on Earth, but even so, nothing is easy. Struggling with the victimising expectations of her friends and family and threatened with a stay in psychiatric care, Saffron has to make a choice: to forget about Kena and fit back into the life she's outgrown, or pit herself against everything she's ever known and everyone she loves.Meanwhile in Kena, Gwen is increasingly troub... read more

Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it's only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.With Avalonia growing more dangerous by... read more

Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it's only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.With Avalonia growing more dangerous by... read more

In the year 2519, people on Earth don't grow old and die any longer, their bodies are frozen and they start a new life in the virtual reality of the global game.Jex is almost eighteen, working twelve hour shifts, and dreaming of when she'll be legally adult and begin her long-planned idyllic life in one of hundreds of wildly differing virtual worlds. When a bomber attacks a server complex, one... read more

In the year 2519, people on Earth don't grow old and die any longer, their bodies are frozen and they start a new life in the virtual reality of the global game.Jex is almost eighteen, working twelve hour shifts, and dreaming of when she'll be legally adult and begin her long-planned idyllic life in one of hundreds of wildly differing virtual worlds. When a bomber attacks a server complex, one... read more

Poison never lies. Tali was once one of the seven martyrs of the forgotten compass. She barely escaped that life with her body and soul intact. Now she has a new life as a poison eater in the city of Enthait. Here she is hailed as one of the city's protectors. No one knows her history. No one has asked about her past. She's been here so long that Enthait is her home now, these are her people. ... read more

Poison never lies. Tali was once one of the seven martyrs of the forgotten compass. She barely escaped that life with her body and soul intact. Now she has a new life as a poison eater in the city of Enthait. Here she is hailed as one of the city's protectors. No one knows her history. No one has asked about her past. She's been here so long that Enthait is her home now, these are her people. ... read more

After decades of war, the brutal Tathadann Party restored order to shattered Eitan City by outlawing the past and rewriting history. Memory is a commodity – bought and sold, and experienced like a drug. Henraek works as a Tathadann memory thief, draining citizens’ memories. Everything changes when Henraek harvests a memory of his own wife’s death, in the hidden rebellion that once tore apart t... read more

After decades of war, the brutal Tathadann Party restored order to shattered Eitan City by outlawing the past and rewriting history. Memory is a commodity – bought and sold, and experienced like a drug. Henraek works as a Tathadann memory thief, draining citizens’ memories. Everything changes when Henraek harvests a memory of his own wife’s death, in the hidden rebellion that once tore apart t... read more

Below Forsaken Mountain, Marc is deeply involved in a plot to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus – a secret he keeps from everyone, even his beloved Pénélope. Since a tragic accident revealed her affliction, Pénélope is anathema to her father. He gives her an ultimatum: betray the boy she loves, or die. Powers on all sides use Marc and Pénélope as pawns, forcing them to risk everything for a... read more

Below Forsaken Mountain, Marc is deeply involved in a plot to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus – a secret he keeps from everyone, even his beloved Pénélope. Since a tragic accident revealed her affliction, Pénélope is anathema to her father. He gives her an ultimatum: betray the boy she loves, or die. Powers on all sides use Marc and Pénélope as pawns, forcing them to risk everything for a... read more

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of t... read more

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of t... read more

Beneath the mountain, the king's reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cecile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king's power. Or his manipulation. Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every nigh... read more

Beneath the mountain, the king's reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cecile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king's power. Or his manipulation. Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every nigh... read more

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what s... read more

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what s... read more

The distant and unloved colony world of Russalka has no land, only the raging sea. Beneath the waves, the people live in pressurised environments and take what they need from the boundless ocean. It is a hard life, but it is theirs and they fought a war against Earth to protect it. But wars leave wounds that never quite heal, and secrets that never quite lie silent. In the crushing depths of t... read more

The distant and unloved colony world of Russalka has no land, only the raging sea. Beneath the waves, the people live in pressurised environments and take what they need from the boundless ocean. It is a hard life, but it is theirs and they fought a war against Earth to protect it. But wars leave wounds that never quite heal, and secrets that never quite lie silent. In the crushing depths of t... read more

Absolute obedience, servitude, neutrality.These were the laws that once governed Bartholomew, an immortal soulcatcher, until one ill-fated night when he was forced to make a choice: rebel against his masters or reveal an ancient, dangerous secret.He chose defiance.Imprisoned for centuries as punishment for his decision, Bartholomew wastes away—until he creates an opportunity to escape. By a st... read more

Absolute obedience, servitude, neutrality.These were the laws that once governed Bartholomew, an immortal soulcatcher, until one ill-fated night when he was forced to make a choice: rebel against his masters or reveal an ancient, dangerous secret.He chose defiance.Imprisoned for centuries as punishment for his decision, Bartholomew wastes away—until he creates an opportunity to escape. By a st... read more

“He was the lad who did it twice, tricked the Devil by a roll of the dice. . . . He goes by the name of Stingy Jack, with a turnip lantern in hand to light his way through the black.”For immortal soulcatcher Buck, acclimating to newfound freedom in 1934 Chicago would have been impossible if not for the selfless actions of Charlie Reese. Now separated from his mortal friend, Buck accepts a new ... read more

“He was the lad who did it twice, tricked the Devil by a roll of the dice. . . . He goes by the name of Stingy Jack, with a turnip lantern in hand to light his way through the black.”For immortal soulcatcher Buck, acclimating to newfound freedom in 1934 Chicago would have been impossible if not for the selfless actions of Charlie Reese. Now separated from his mortal friend, Buck accepts a new ... read more

Amanda has 13 reviews

Professionalism

Professionalism

Quality

Quality

Value

Value

Communication & Punctuality

Communication & Punctuality

Amanda is great. She was clear in her timing, helped beyond proofreading when there were still a few elements of copyedits that were necessary. She's an expert and I'll hire her again for sure!

Thomas Fowler, September 2019

Timely, meticulous, and extremely helpful. Thank you so much!

RJ Theodore, May 2019

Amanda did an excellent job at editing my 62k word manuscript, with a great eye at catching those little errors the author has gone blind to. She also found some consistency issues that required attention, and in general provided a solid overview. I feel confident my manuscript is now ready for publishing.

Wayne Meyers, May 2019

Amanda worked with me on my YA Sci Fi novel, and was very helpful in giving me a professional perspective on the structural elements of the book including character development, story arcs, pacing, point if view - all areas that needed some work. She was particularly good at understanding what I was trying to achieve with the book and being able to articulate those concepts back to me with spec...

I am a first time extremely novice writer, someone who doesn't take criticism easily. However Amanda laid everything out nice and neatly and put everything into perspective for me. I am unsure how much I can write into this little review, but if I can express anything in this short passage is that although I did mourn the life of my creation, I am thoroughly excited to breathe new life into it....